Lotus leaf extract and L-carnitine influence different processes during the adipocyte life cycle.

Background: The cellular and molecular mechanisms of adipose tissue biology have been studied extensively over the last two decades. Adipose tissue growth involves both an increase in fat cell size and the formation of mature adipocytes from precursor cells. To investigate how natural substances influence these two processes, we examined the effects of lotus leaf extract (Nelumbo nucifera-extract solution obtained from Silab, France) and L-carnitine on human preadipocytes and adipocytes.

A novel treatment option for photoaged skin.

Background: DNA damage as a result of ultraviolet (UV) exposure plays an important role in the progression of cutaneous aging. Both folic acid and creatine have been linked to the process of DNA protection and repair.

Aims: This study aims to investigate the effects of a commercially available folic acid- and creatine-containing formulation to fight the clinical signs of premature skin aging.

Efficient synthesis of tetrasubstituted alkenes by allylsilane-terminated domino-Heck double cyclisation.

The domino-Heck double cyclisation of the arylbromides 1, which contain an allylsilane and an alkyne moiety and are easily accessible by an addition of the corresponding lithiated alkynes 5 to the aldehydes 4, leads to the tetrasubstituted alkenes 2 and 3 in good yield. The reaction produces exclusively compounds with an E double bond and additionally proceeds with good to excellent induced diastereoselectivity in the case of 1e and 1f. Irradiation of 2e leads to a steady state equilibrium of the E and Z compounds in a 1:1 ratio.